Pinned topicNeed instructions

‏2011-08-16T15:44:02Z
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Can I please get a link to some detailed instructions from someone thats had success at deploying an image that was created.
I can create synchronized images from handmade and downloaded bundles, I can successfully upload the images to a WCA device... I have yet to deploy successfully, it always dies with some cant register image or some other error. I am wondering if "virtuser" or some other such non-root user is required for the Activation Engine to properly run? The setup manual is the only documentation I can find and its vaugue at best on actually detailing image setup for more than just a basic OS image, any step by step or even screen shots (so I can make my picture look like your picture) would help. Thanks!

Re-trying, will post a better error message than "it doesnt work" and logs.

This is going to sound annoying but would you mind opening the tar and just removing all the zipped up error/trace files? I assume the error.log and trace.log together aren't that large and these should be the only ones I need if the error was produced right before the tar operation.

If this is still too big then I'll get you an ftp site...but I need to dig up details on that and if we can use the forum or email it would be easier.

Re: Need instructions

This is going to sound annoying but would you mind opening the tar and just removing all the zipped up error/trace files? I assume the error.log and trace.log together aren't that large and these should be the only ones I need if the error was produced right before the tar operation.

If this is still too big then I'll get you an ftp site...but I need to dig up details on that and if we can use the forum or email it would be easier.

Unfortunately we no longer have that device any more, we are upgrading to the IWD, was trying this on that appliance, but cant get an image to export... yet =). This all used to work on this exact image, except for the actual deployment hehe. I think we may have corrupted something changing HVs? Ive noticed the DB hangs on to names (IE cant reuse names for HVgroups or Images). Is there a more recent build than April of '11? Maybe I could just reload a new build and be in better shape? Please advise.

Re: Need instructions

Unfortunately we no longer have that device any more, we are upgrading to the IWD, was trying this on that appliance, but cant get an image to export... yet =). This all used to work on this exact image, except for the actual deployment hehe. I think we may have corrupted something changing HVs? Ive noticed the DB hangs on to names (IE cant reuse names for HVgroups or Images). Is there a more recent build than April of '11? Maybe I could just reload a new build and be in better shape? Please advise.

Yeah, let me just make sure I understand the scenario. So you were able to import a base image into ICON (or create one from an ISO) then you extended it in ICON, added some bundles, and successfully synchronized it in ICON. At that point you exported it as an OVA and tried to import it into a WCA, right? That's when the import fails and you see that ca2.uri null error?

If this is indeed the scenario then I can't think of any more troubleshooting steps to take without the WCA logs, since this is the actual failure point.

Re: Need instructions

Yeah, let me just make sure I understand the scenario. So you were able to import a base image into ICON (or create one from an ISO) then you extended it in ICON, added some bundles, and successfully synchronized it in ICON. At that point you exported it as an OVA and tried to import it into a WCA, right? That's when the import fails and you see that ca2.uri null error?

If this is indeed the scenario then I can't think of any more troubleshooting steps to take without the WCA logs, since this is the actual failure point.

Almost... I was able to create an image from an iso I imported (RHEL5), then add bundles to the image (WCA Activation Engine bundle from IBM, some simple install scripts for DB2 and RAFW. The synchronization would succeed and then an OVA could be exported from ICON and successfully imported to WCA 2.0.0.2, when we tried deploying, it would fail.

Now today, my new problem is coming back to that same ICON instance, and cant sync the image after adding the same bundles that worked a few weeks back. Once I can successfully synch an image, export, then import, I will be attempting to deploy. The only change is the ESX HV was changed to another physical device and a new HV instance created in ICON and the old one deleted.

When I click synchronize, I get a sync failed immediately, then if I refresh the screen I get the other error.

Re: Need instructions

Almost... I was able to create an image from an iso I imported (RHEL5), then add bundles to the image (WCA Activation Engine bundle from IBM, some simple install scripts for DB2 and RAFW. The synchronization would succeed and then an OVA could be exported from ICON and successfully imported to WCA 2.0.0.2, when we tried deploying, it would fail.

Now today, my new problem is coming back to that same ICON instance, and cant sync the image after adding the same bundles that worked a few weeks back. Once I can successfully synch an image, export, then import, I will be attempting to deploy. The only change is the ESX HV was changed to another physical device and a new HV instance created in ICON and the old one deleted.

When I click synchronize, I get a sync failed immediately, then if I refresh the screen I get the other error.

So... weirdly enough, I checked the ICON server this morning ( I was hoping to find just the right place to kick it...) and I noticed the file sync'd successfully, even though it did not run the DB config script I had in there as a bundle... its still showing in "planned" on the software tab while everything else is in "installed". This was the results last time I played with the tool, and I could export this and load it on a WCA and get an error on actual deployment. Going to retry this again today, while I await the answers to what you have already looked into and the 3 additional questions below. Thanks!

Question 1 Could the error earlier in this thread/post just have been related to the GUI/web front end and the sync process just went ahead not realizing the human couldn't see the results page?

Question 2 Should I see a completely installed RAF server in the target VM that was created in the sync, or just the setup/install files? (not really sure how the sync works other than the very high level view given in ICON presentations)

Question 3 Is there some sort of "how to" documentation on using bundles and what the extent of their capabilities are? (I might be pushing past the limits of the products intended usage, but really didnt think so)

Re: Need instructions

So... weirdly enough, I checked the ICON server this morning ( I was hoping to find just the right place to kick it...) and I noticed the file sync'd successfully, even though it did not run the DB config script I had in there as a bundle... its still showing in "planned" on the software tab while everything else is in "installed". This was the results last time I played with the tool, and I could export this and load it on a WCA and get an error on actual deployment. Going to retry this again today, while I await the answers to what you have already looked into and the 3 additional questions below. Thanks!

Question 1 Could the error earlier in this thread/post just have been related to the GUI/web front end and the sync process just went ahead not realizing the human couldn't see the results page?

Question 2 Should I see a completely installed RAF server in the target VM that was created in the sync, or just the setup/install files? (not really sure how the sync works other than the very high level view given in ICON presentations)

Question 3 Is there some sort of "how to" documentation on using bundles and what the extent of their capabilities are? (I might be pushing past the limits of the products intended usage, but really didnt think so)

If the UI said sync failed then it wouldn't have proceeded trying to sync in the backend. So something was funny earlier. Perhaps there were network problems or some internal ICON problem.

Yeah, if the sync completes then you should see a new VM on your HV that is based off of the image you synced in ICON. This VM will exist until you delete or capture the new image in ICON.

All we have for doc is what's available on alphaworks. In general we tried to make the bundle idea as simple as possible. Basically it's just a collection of scripts that the bundle creator writes and optionally binaries for products. These scripts drive the installation and configuration. So for very large software products you'd want the binaries to reside on a server somewhere and you'd write the bundle install script to go get the binaries first and then install them. Let me know if you have additional questions on this and we can setup a call or something.